


A Lantern for the Alchemist

by Shadowbeast123



Category: Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, I own nothing but my OCs, Please Don't Kill Me, post season one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-06 04:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15878985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowbeast123/pseuds/Shadowbeast123
Summary: Varian was a villain, that was true. He had done terrible crimes, broke many laws; all in the name of setting his father free. But he was also a child, one that had a chance at redemption. And Arianna wanted to remember that.





	1. Chapter 1

It really wasn't that hard for Varian to make his own makeshift alchemy set in his cell. That was kind of the fault of the king seeing as how Fredric didn't shackle him up to anything in there. So Varian was able to roam freely about his cell, and stick his arms out through the bars in the door to get whatever he needed for his little 'experiments'. Granted, his 'experiments' couldn't exactly do anything to aid in an escape; because they were just mushed up blades of grass or leaves, maybe even a flower or two, that he pulled off of the guards' uniforms if they just so happened to stroll through the gardens at some point during the day. They were pretty much useless, and just served the purpose of giving him something to do while he was down in the dungeon until they allowed him to go outside at some point.

Of course, useless or not, Varian was not supposed to have the experiments on him. And just his luck, the guy that was in the cell across from him would rat him out to the guards. Which not only resulted in Varian's only means of keeping busy being taken away, but it also got him scheduled to be executed the same day...without the king's knowledge.

"No! Please, don't do this!" he begged, trying to break free from the guards as they dragged him out of his cell. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again. Just please don't do this!"

"Shut up!" the guard snapped, shoving him roughly to the ground before picking him back up and forcing him to keep moving. Varian digging his heels the entire time, and begging the guards to let him speak to the king, or the queen; anyone that could stop them from executing him. But as the guards brought him further and further away from the castle, and into the town square where there was already a noose waiting; it hit him hard that he wasn't getting out of this. He wasn't going to get a chance at redemption for what he had done, he wasn't going to free his father, or see him again; he was going to die for his mistakes, even though Fredric did not sign off on anything that gave the guards permission to do this.

"Please," he begged, trying to get free from the guards and escape as the guards pushed him up onto the platform and tied the rope around his neck. The tears pouring down his face as his pleas quickly became horrid sobs as everyone from Old Corona cheered them on as the executioner reached over for the lever that would bring his swift end. "Please, don't do this."

"Varian!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Varian!" the Captain yelled, mainly in horror as he watched the young alchemist be publicly executed in front of dozens of people. But the rope that had been around his neck hadn't been put on right; it was too loose, and Varian ended up slipping out of his noose, giving him a small sliver of hope as he ran over to try and catch Varian before he hit the ground. But he had been too late, and Varian had hit his head immensely hard off of the platform from which he had been standing on. Bleeding profusely out of his hairline with a bruise already starting to form where the rope had pulled taut against his throat before he slipped out, and his breathing weak and fading fast as tear filled blue eyes looked up at him.

"I...I'm sorry..." he choked out as Captain hurried to get his shackles off of him to get him back to the castle. But when he went to pick Varian up, he couldn't feel his heartbeat anymore, and he could see that Varian had broken his neck when he fell; bringing a swift yet probably painful death if he had stayed alive long enough to give one last goodbye.

Great. How was he going to explain this to the king and queen? What was Quirin going to say once he was free from the amber when he finds out about how his son not only became evil thanks to the royal family's mistakes, but had died for his crimes under no authorization from Fredric himself?

Bringing his hand over Varian's eyes so he could close them, Captain stood up, and calmly ordered the executioner to bring the body back to the castle so the king and queen could bury him accordingly. Because heaven knows how long its going to take now for the family to free Quirin from his amber prison to do that himself.

"Captain," Fredric said once he had entered the throne room to inform the royal family of Varian's untimely demise.

"Your majesty," he greeted, kneeling in front of his king with his face somber, and his eyes burning into the floor as to not look at the queen. Because out of all the people Varian had hurt with his actions, she was the only one who forgave him, and made an effort to try and save the fourteen year old boy that was still inside of him. She had essentially filled the void left by Varian's mother when she died, and to find out now that Varian had died for his crimes without Fredric's permission would more than likely destroy her. But he had to tell them.

"Tell me, what brings you here."

Swallowing hard, Captain looked up at Arianna, and then back at Fredrick; straightening up his posture, and taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the outburst that was sure to come from Arianna soon enough.

"A mistake was made regarding young Varian, the alchemist from Old Corona," he explained. "He died a few moments ago in town square. A botched execution that caused him to break his neck."

"What?" Arianna asked. Her tone neither angry, or broken; but the kind of tone you'd expect from someone when they receive news like this. The kind that's both shocked, and slightly pleading that they had heard you wrong.

"What do you mean he was executed?" Fredric asked, his tone slightly more demanding before the doors opened, and Pete and Stan presented Varian's confiscated contraband from the guards that were responsible for the boy's execution. "What is this?"

"Contraband, your majesty. The guards at the prison confiscated it from the alchemist before his execution," Pete explained, making Arianna get a pained look on her face. Because she had lectured Varian about having that stuff on him in his cell; while his experiments wouldn't be of any use in an escape since they were just plants, they didn't want him making an attempt.

"Take me to him," she said, looking over at the Captain.

"Right away, your majesty," he said, taking Arianna and Stan to the gardens where the executioner was waiting with Varian's body still in his horse drawn wheel barrow. And the second Arianna laid eyes on the dead alchemist, her heart tore in two, and her stomach twisted into a knot. Villain or not, it did not make it any less sickening that Varian had died. He was just a kid.

"Contact the undertaker, and make preparations for the burial. He shall be buried beside his mother back in Old Corona," she stated, looking over at Stan.

"Yes, your majesty," he said, giving her a slight bow before going to follow her orders.

"And you get one of the servants to bring me a cloth so I can wipe the blood off his face," she ordered the Captain.

"And his attire?"

"I'll handle it," she said, trying not to let him see her tears. "Now go."


	3. Chapter 3

"Your majesty, are you sure this was a good idea?" Stan asked as he and Arianna stood beside the hole the undertaker and the Captain were digging into the ground next to Quirin's wife's grave to bury Varian's body. The young alchemist clothed in his old garments from before, whereas most burial proceedings involved the corpse being dressed in their better attire.

"It's what he would have wanted," she said, pushing a piece of hair off of Varian's face. "He hates being dressed up. Even at his own funeral."

"But are you sure it was a good idea for you to attend?" he asked. "We're talking about a boy that kidnapped you, tried to kill you, nearly took out his village and the kingdom with his inventions, and his monsters."

"He was a boy that needed help," Arianna said to him, continuing to toy with Varian's bangs because it was pretty much the only thing keeping her from facing the reality that someone who was literally one of the most kind hearted people back when he was good was now dead because he chose the wrong path due to mistakes that could have been avoided; she was scared of the reality that once Quirin was freed from the amber, she would have to face the possibility that her old friend would soon too travel down that dark path because his son had died thanks to Fredric's men. "He may have gone down the wrong path. But he was not evil. He needed help, and it was denied because no one bothered to listen to him. And I want to make sure he gets a proper burial."

"And what of his pet?" Pete asked. "Should we set it free?"

"Your majesty," the Captain called, getting her attention to tell her they were ready to bury the body.

"I will deal with Rudiger once I get back to the castle," she said, placing a kiss on Varian's cold forehead. "But for now, let's just get him buried so he can be with his mom."

"Of course your majesty," Pete and Stan both said before they closed the coffin lid and lifted it off of the cart with the Captain and the undertaker's help. The only words between the four being the bickering telling them how to carry the coffin, or to not drop it as they put it into the ground, can replaced the dirt. Arianna having a sinking feeling in her chest the entire time as the reality finally set in, and she finally let the first tear fall; for Quirin's sake.

* * *

**~Later that evening~**

"I can see that Varian certainly spoiled you back in Old Corona," Fredric said as he watched Rudiger scarf down the food one of the servants had set out for him and Arianna. The raccoon looking over at him with a piece of lettuce hanging out of his mouth before skittering away to hide. Darting between Arianna's feet and getting lost in her skirt for a second before she lifted it up over her feet so he could see his way out.

"Nice to see Rudiger's making it okay on his own without Varian around," she said as she tried to salvage what little food Rudiger didn't dig into.

"Yes, he seems to be keeping himself fed rather well," Fredric said before he noticed his wife's saddened eyes, and stone cold face. The same look she had on her face for the last eighteen years before Rapunzel finally came home to them. "Is something the matter?"

"I was just thinking," she said, biting back a sigh. "Rudiger's going to need a new home now that Varian's gone. He's too tame to be going back into the wild."

"Arianna, I think Rudiger can take care of himself," he said as the servants rushed to replace the food Rudiger had eaten.

"Did you do anything about the guards that executed him?" she asked.

"Yes. I demoted them to cleaning out the horse stalls."

"That's it?" she asked. "Fredric, those two killed Varian without your permission in front of the entire city. And it wasn't the first time they did this, last time they did, the guy was innocent, and you nearly had to pay half our fortune just to keep his wife from telling the town crier."

"I have already dealt with the situation, Arianna. It is done."

"No, it's not," she said. "Fredric, when we finally get Quirin free from the amber. He's going to go down the exact same path that Varian did. He's going to want revenge against us because of something we could have easily prevented."

"That's not going to happen," Fredric assured her. "We'll get him help."

"That's what you said with Varian. And look what happened," Arianna said. "Fredric, the plants he had on him in his cell weren't any use in an escape. They weren't concentrated enough, and even if they were, it would take a while for them to eat away at the metal on the cell door."

"He still shouldn't have had them on him."

"Yeah, well you could have easily prevented him from turning evil if you had bothered to listen to him, and offered help sooner," she said. "And say what you want about the plants he had. It did not warrant his death and you know that. You had the final say in what happened to him. Not me, not the guards, you. And wouldn't you know it, the first person Quirin is going to blame once he finds out won't just be himself. He's going to blame you because you did nothing to stop it."

"We had no idea Varian was even dead until the Captain told us," Fredric said.

"Do you think he'll listen?" she said before turning away from him. "I'll be in my room. Have one of the servants get me when dinner is ready."


	4. Chapter 4

**~Later that Night~**

"Rudiger, what are you doing?" Arianna said, trying to catch Rudiger as he skittered around with something in his mouth.

Picking up the raccoon in her hands, Arianna sat down on her bed with Rudiger on her lap, and took whatever he had in his mouth away from him. And that something was Varian's goggles. And just hearing the sad croon that came from him made her heart break further as she held the grimy goggles in her hands, and ran her fingers through Rudiger's fur because he was wondering where his owner was.

"You probably don't understand what happened yet, do you?" she said to him as he stood up on his hind feet to wipe away her tears. "All you know is that Varian didn't come back yet."

Hearing another sad chittering from the raccoon, Arianna sniffled, and wiped her eyes. Setting Rudiger down on the bed beside her, and getting up to step out onto her balcony for some air with the goggles still in her hand as he hopped up onto the railing that surrounded the balcony, and put a tiny paw on her hand. Silently asking her where Varian was as she petted him again.

"It's okay," she said, scratching him behind his ears. "You'll understand eventually."

Seeing Rudiger go back inside the castle, Arianna sighed and went back inside. Accidentally knocking something over in the darkness of her room, and quickly lighting a candle to see what she had knocked over. That something being one of the lanterns she normally set out on Rapunzel's birthday. And of course, her knocking it to the floor caused it to break and be unusable, so she had to get one of the servants to clean it up while Rudiger stole Fredric's side of the bed; laying down on the bed herself, and just cuddling Rudiger like he was a toy until he ended up falling asleep.

**~Flashback: 5 weeks earlier~**

When it came down to the prison in Corona, it was not uncommon for Fredric or Arianna to receive numerous reports from the prisoners saying that they weren't be being treated fairly. Which, in turn, left them to visit the prison almost daily to make sure the guards weren't lying to them given what happened the last time they swept the reports under the rug. But this visit in particular just made her blood boil, because out of all the guards that were on post in the prison, not one of them bothered to check on Varian; and when she went to see him, he was not in good shape. In fact, he was near close to death from a fever that no one bothered to keep an eye on, and when she got him to wake up, he vomited profusely. And against Fredric's better wishes, she took him back to the castle with her since she knew the guards would keep a better eye on him there.

"Here you go, Varian," she said, giving Varian some water since he was bound to be thirsty; watching as he gulped down the water quickly, and covering him with a blanket when he laid back down. Because all he wanted to do at this point was just sleep off the fever. But he was just so sick that he soon ended up breaking down into tears, and hugged her; apologizing profusely for what he had done, and just letting out everything he had been holding back. And the sad part was, Arianna didn't know how much of this was genuine, and how much was related to the fever. But she couldn't think about that now.

"Varian, it's okay," she soothed, quickly grabbing a cloth that had been sitting on the bedside table, and dipping it in the small bowl of water that was sitting there. Pressing the cool cloth against Varian's fevered face as the boy continued to sniffle and cry into her chest. "It's okay, I forgive you."

"How can you? I nearly killed you, and did so many things," he sobbed as she wiped his tears away with the cloth.

"Why don't you just lay down, honey. You'll feel better once you've had some sleep," she said, getting him to lay back down on the bed, and laying beside him to try and comfort him.

"I really am sorry," he said between his sobs as Arianna kissed his forehead, and pushed his bangs off his face. "Please, your majesty, don't let them hurt me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, pressing the cloth to his forehead to try and get his fever down.

"The-The guards at the prison...they keep threatening me with execution whenever I act out," he stammered as she wiped his tears away. "I'm scared they're actually going to go through with it."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I wasn't sure you'd believe me," he sniffled as he cuddled up a bit closer to her.

"Well, don't worry. I'll have Fredric put you into a more open cell with a different set of guards," she assured him as he finally started to calm down. "Now why don't you just get some more sleep. You need to get rid of this fever so you can finish up your sentence quicker."

"Your majesty," Varian said, his voice broken and weak, making him sound a lot younger than he really was. "You are going to free my father. Aren't you?"

"Of course," she promised. "We'll do everything we can to get your father out of the amber. You two will be back together soon enough."

"Thank you," he said as she kissed his forehead again, and went to get up from the bed. "Um...can you stay with me? Please? At least until I fall asleep."

"Sure," she said, laying back down and letting him use her as his pillow. Pressing another kiss into his forehead as he slowly drifted off to sleep, probably feeling a lot better after getting all his pent up emotions out of his system as she slowly got up as to not disturb him, and left the room.

**~End Flashback: Present Day~**

"Your majesty!" Nigel shouted, waking Arianna up from her sleep, and startling Rudiger. "Come quick. We've finally done it."

"Why does that make me worry?" she asked, looking down at Rudiger, who just yawned as she picked him up and tried to keep up with Nigel without full out running after him. Following him outside to where the guards were dragging someone out of a carriage, someone that the last time she had checked, had been encased in amber back in Old Corona.

"Quirin…"


	5. Chapter 5

"How is this possible? Last time I checked, we couldn't even break away the amber with a chisel and hammer," Arianna said as she and Fredric stood outside of the dining hall while Quirin ate for the first time since he had been stuck in the amber.

"I don't know. But according to the scientist we had there, more rocks appeared and just broke away the amber like it was nothing. We're lucky they didn't pierce into him."

"Did you tell him about Varian yet?" she asked, seeing her husband look away in discomfort. "Fredric."

"Arianna, the man just got out of an amber tomb after being trapped in there for months. I can't just tell him right away that his son died."

"You drove him past the grave!" Arianna hissed at him before making sure Quirin didn't hear them. "When are you going to tell him? The next time he goes to visit his wife?"

"Of course not," Fredric said to her. "I'll tell him soon enough."

"You better," she said. "If you aren't going to do much to reprimand the guards responsible for this. The least you can do is own up to your mistake, and tell Quirin what happened. Now, if you excuse me. I'm going back to bed. Come, Rudgier."

Hearing Rudiger chitter by her feet, Arianna gathered the raccoon into her arms, and went back to her and Fredric's room. Leaving him to look back in on Quirin as he finished up his food, and go into the dining room to speak with him.

"I trust you are adjusting well to being out of the amber, my friend."

"Yeah, it's nice to finally be able to move. Given those rocks nearly took my life. Twice," Quirin said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Is Varian here? Last time I checked, he ran to get you for help when I was being encased in the amber. I think he'll be happy to see me again."

"Varian's..." Fredric hesitated, remembering what Arianna had said to him earlier about what could happen when Quirin found out what happened to his only child. "*Sigh* Quirin, I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Quirin asked. "What's going on?"

"When you got encased in the amber, Varian...he went down a dark path to try and get you out. Attacked the kingdom, kidnapped Arianna to get to Rapunzel. I had to arrest him."

"Oh no," he said, looking extremely humiliated that his son would do such things. "Fredric, I-"

"I'm not finished," Fredric said, his tone somber. "While Varian was locked up...he got ahold of some contraband he wasn't supposed to have. A makeshift alchemy set he made himself that wouldn't have done anything to aid in an escape, but it's enough to extend his sentence. And two of my guards...they took it upon themselves to give him a different punishment without telling me. They executed him without my permission."

"What?" Quirin asked, brown eyes wide with shock as the news hit him hard. "He's...he's dead?"

"Quirin, I am so sorry," Fredric apologized as Quirin's face paled, and he swallowed hard to keep from throwing up the food he had just eaten. "I didn't know they did it until Captain told me what happened."

"And what did you do with his body?" Quirin asked, trying to keep his tears at bay.

"We had it buried next to your wife, back in Old Corona," he said. "I assumed that was what you would have wanted given we had no idea more rocks would appear and manage to free you from the amber."

"H-How long ago was this?"

"Earlier this morning," he answered as Quirin let out a shaky breath and wiped his eyes. "I already took care of it."

"Like how you 'took care of it' when those two killed an innocent man?" Quirin asked, already knowing which set of guards Fredric was talking about.

"Quirin-"

"Don't," he said, standing up from the table. "I don't want your apology, Fredric. You can apologize all you want, but it's not going to change the fact that two of your men essentially murdered my son. I'm going to bed."

"Would you-"

"Leave me alone," Quirin said, cutting him off and going to the guest quarters in the castle to turn in for the night. Sitting down on the bed, and looking out the window at the moon. His jaw clenched in a mix of emotions as his first tear fell.


	6. Chapter 6

**~4 Days Later~**

"How is he?" Arianna asked, standing outside of Quirin's room with Stan and Pete since they had been guarding the door. Looking in through the small gap to see Quirin still laying in the bed. In the same exact spot he had been in for the last four days since he found out about Varian's death.

"He's still the same," Stan said. "Won't eat, barely sleeps. He's taking it pretty hard."

"Can't really blame him," Pete said sullenly as Rudiger let out a soft, sad croon because Varian's death had finally sunk in for the little raccoon.

"Has he visited Varian's grave at all?" Arianna asked, gently scratching Rudiger behind his ears.

"Not yet," Stan said as Quirin rolled over on the bed. "And frankly, I don't think he's ready to visit the grave yet."

Feeling Rudiger jump out of her arms, Arianna watched as he scurried into the room, and jumped up onto the bed next to Quirin. Squeezing his way under the big man's arm, and letting out a soft chittering noise.

"How's the critter?"

"Holding up about as well as Quirin," she said sadly, unaware that Quirin could hear her perfectly clear as he ran his fingers through Rudiger's fur, and closed his eyes.

**~Flashback: 14 years earlier~**

It was quiet in Quirin's house. The only sounds he could hear being the house settling, and his wife's soft breathing as she slept a few feet away from him while he worked on a report for the king. But his silence was soon interrupted by a small whimper coming from the cradle next to his and his wife's bed. A sure sign that his newborn son had just woken up and needed something.

Getting up from his desk to hopefully tend to his son without the need to wake up his wife, Quirin quietly made his way over to his son's cradle, and peeked inside. Seeing a tiny little baby with raven colored locks, and baby blue eyes staring up at him, with the blue eyes filled with tears.

"Hey Varian," he said softly, lifting his son out of the cradle and immediately assessing that his son needed a diaper change. "Ooh, you need a change.

Hearing his son start to fuss more, Quirin quickly picked up the candle stick he had been using as his light, and carried Varian to the changing table. Changing his son's diaper, and just holding Varian in his arms to spend some time with him since his wife hadn't been able to put him down since he was born. And the boy just had the most adorable little yawn he had ever seen, and was fighting off going back to sleep to spend more time with his dad. Only to succumb to his sleepiness when Quirin started humming a lullaby to him. And just looking down at his sleeping baby, he could feel a sense of pride welling up in his chest. His little boy was barely a month old, and already he could tell that Varian was going to make him very proud when he got older.

Hearing the birds start to chirp outside his window, Quirin looked over and saw the sky slowly start to turn from the dark, inky black of the night to a midnight blue. Meaning the sun was coming up and he had been up all night again. But when he put Varian back into his cradle so he could sleep, Varian started fussing again because he didn't want Quirin to put him down. His fussing soon turning into crying, and waking up his mom as Quirin scooped his baby back up into his arms, and tried to soothe him.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, he just wanted to be held," he said, getting his son to quiet down again as she got up and offered to take him so Quirin could sleep. But Varian instead opted for more snuggle time with his father, making Quirin lay down on the bed with him resting on his chest, and his wife laying back down beside him to spend some time with their son.

"He seems to have already formed a strong bond with you," she said, pressing a kiss to Varian's head.

"Please, all I did was change him," he said softly, pushing a piece of his wife's auburn colored hair out of her face as Varian reached his tiny hand out and grabbed at his mom's fingers. "He's a momma's boy. Isn't that right Varian."

Hearing Varian let out a noise that was part coo, part gurgle, Quirin smiled and kissed the top of his son's head before kissing his wife on the lips. And for once in his life, everything felt perfect.

**~End Flashback: Present day~**

"Quirin," Arianna said, trying to get Quirin to look over at her as she came in with some food. "I brought you a sandwich."

"Just leave it," he said tiredly. Not turning around to face her as she walked over to the bed, and set the sandwich down on the bedside table. Taking Rudiger into her arms to give him a piece of apple because he hadn't eaten in a few days.

"Quirin," she started.

"Don't apologize, Arianna. It's all I've been hearing from Fredric and the guards for the last four days," he said as he sat up, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Quirin, you know we never meant for this to happen," she said to him. "We didn't even know he came by the castle for help when you were being encased in the amber until a month after it happened."

"It still doesn't change the fact that your guards killed my son, and your husband won't do a thing about it," he said to her as Rudiger nibbled on his apple wedge.

"I understand," she said, setting Rudiger back down on the bed, and getting up to leave. "Just...Please, Quirin. Do not go down the same path that Varian did. I know you're angry and hurting. But you should know better than everyone that revenge is not the answer for things like this."

"I'm sorry, your majesty. But I learned to stop making promises to you and your husband a long time ago," he said, laying back down on the bed. "Leave me."

"Very well," she muttered softly, turning her back to the man on the bed, and stepping back into the hall to let him continue mourning his son. Going past the big window that was out there, and seeing that the leaves on the trees were starting to turn change colors.

Wait, had it really been that long since Rapunzel left?

Sighing deeply at the thought of her traveling daughter, and how much she would be hurting if she found out that Varian had died, Arianna went back to her room and laid down on the bed. Letting out the grief she had stored up for Quirin's sake, because she had no idea that Quirin would be freed from the amber mere hours after his son's death. Because she couldn't help but feel the same emptiness she had felt after Rapunzel was taken from her when she was a baby; Varian had managed to make his way into a special place in her heart. One that could never be filled again.


	7. Chapter 7

**~Later that Night~**

"Come on, buddy. Out you come," Quirin said as he led one of the horses out of its stall. A large black stallion with a long black mane, and a grey diamond shaped patch of fur above its nose.

"Good to see that you're finally out of bed," Captain said, making Quirin look over at him as he was reaching over to grab the horse's reigns. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Varian was the only other one besides Rapunzel who had any idea about getting rid of the rocks," he said as he strapped the reigns to the horse, and grabbed the saddle. "And with him gone...She's going to need help. A lot more than before."

"Would you-"

"No," he said, putting the saddle on the horse and leading it out of the stables. "You've helped enough. The least you and the rest of the guards can do is stay out of my way, and let me avenge my son on my own. Unless you want me to travel down the same path he did."

"Understood," Captain said as Quirin ran his hand down the horse's nose because it was trying to shake its reigns off. "I assume you're taking your son's pet with you too?"

"I prefer to travel alone," he said gruffly, not wanting to take Rudiger with him on the trip because the wound of having Varian ripped away from him was still too fresh for him to really focus on caring for the chubby raccoon. Not to mention Rudiger was more likely to eat all of his food than really offer any sort of protecting or comfort. "But he's not staying with you guys. I'm leaving him with an old friend of mine until I return."

"Very well," Captain said as Quirin mounted the horse. "I will wish you safe travels then."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, flicking the horse's reigns, and riding away from the castle.

**~Flashback: 2 years earlier~**

When you have a son that's into alchemy and inventing, odds are his experiments are going to blow up at some point. And no matter how many times this happens, your son is bound to keep trying because all he wants to do is make you proud of him. And you go along with it. Because as much as you have to discipline your son whenever his experiments backfire, and as much as they embarrass you; you're proud because you have a bright, intelligent son with a big heart that just wants to help the village. And all you want to see is his smiling face as he invents a new chemical compound or machine that won't explode for once.

But, as much as you try to go along with your son's mishaps. The fact that everything blows up kind of takes a toll on everyone. Much to the point where the one time, the one time Varian was not at fault for an explosion when the oven at the baker's house exploded; everyone blamed him, and publicly shamed him for the explosion while Varian and Quirin were celebrating the boy's birthday.

"Varian," he called down the cellar stairs. Hoping to get Varian to come upstairs because he had been down there since earlier that afternoon. "Son, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Varian called back. His voice holding no real indications that he really was okay, because normally he sounded slightly panicked if something was going to blow up, or drained if he was tired; but this time was different. This time his tone was full of shame, almost as if he actually believed that the oven exploding had been his fault when he hadn't even been to the bakery to retrieve the cake yet.

"Well, I'm going to go out and get the cake. Are you going to be okay while I'm out?"

Not getting a response from the birthday boy, Quirin sighed and left to see if Varian's cake had survived the blast from earlier. Seeing the baker and his wife cleaning up the kitchen after the aforementioned blowout from the oven.

"Quirin," said the baker's wife, Carol as she leaned the broom up against the wall. "What can we do for you?"

"Um, I just dropped by to pick up Varian's cake. It is his birthday today."

"Oh, right," she said, glancing over at the overturned cake that was laying on the floor. "Well, as you can see. We kind of ran into a bit of an issue. But if you want, Howard and I can make him another one...once we get the oven fixed."

"Hey, how is the boy anyway?" Howard called over as he wiped his soot covered hands off with a rag. "Last I saw of him earlier, everyone in the village was ripping him a new one for something he didn't do this time."

"He's kind of embarrassed about it. He hasn't left his lab all day."

"Well, that's what he gets for blowing half the village all the time," their son Harold said as he threw out the broken parts from the oven.

"Harold," Carol scolded.

"What? It's true. If Varian really wanted all of us to like him, he'd give up on the whole alchemy thing and just be normal for a change."

"Harold," Howard said, giving his son a warning tone because he knew how protective Quirin was of his boy.

"I have to give it to you, Quirin. You put up with a lot with him. If I were you, I'd kick the boy out on his sorry ass the second he blew up any part of my house."

"Excuse me?" Quirin asked.

"Harold, go get rid of those parts," Howard said, pushing his son out the back door to the house as Quirin glared daggers in their direction, and Carol grabbed the broom again to sweep up the soot from the floor, and throw out the cake.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "Howard and I will drop by tomorrow with a new cake for Varian."

"Yeah, thanks," he said, leaving the house to go back to his home, and finding Varian fast asleep on the sofa the second he walked through the door; but his eyes were rimmed with red, and his cheeks were stained with tears. Which only made Quirin fell bad for leaving him alone, because after having one of the worst birthdays after losing the cake and getting yelled at for something he didn't even do; he probably assumed his dad was embarrassed by him seeing as how Quirin hadn't really gone down to physically check on his son since he got screamed at.

Sighing heavily at his son's sleeping and tear stained face, Quirin walked over to Varian and ruffled his hair gently. Pressing a kiss to the top of his son's head and wiping away his dried tears as he just watched his sleeping son for a few moments; Varian sleeping undisturbed due to his off-and-on sleep cycles that usually resulted in a huge burnout that left him pretty much dead to the world for a full day just to recharge.

"Happy birthday, Varian," he mumbled into his son's hair before pressing another kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry it didn't go as planned."

Getting up from the floor in front of the couch, Quirin grabbed the blanket that was draped across the back of it, and covered his son. Sitting in the armchair that was beside the sofa so he could keep a hand on Varian's head; only eventually nod off while sitting up. And although this was probably one of the worst birthdays in Varian's life; the small smile the boy had on his face before Quirin dozed off completely was all he needed to tell him that he would be okay.

**~End Flashback: Present Day~**

"Woah!" Quirin called out, pulling on his horse's reigns to get him to stop, and climbing down from its back. Tying the creature up to a tree so it wouldn't run off, and entering the graveyard where his wife and now Varian were buried. Holding his lantern out in front of him to offer him some sort of light before he found Varian's grave, right beside his mother's, like Fredric had said. And it was then that Quirin felt his entire world come crashing down, and he was experiencing all the stages of grief at once; because when it had been his wife, Quirin knew her death was coming, and he knew he couldn't let the pain and grief of losing her get in the way of his duties as a parent. He knew he had to be strong for Varian's sake, and after a while, he learned to live with the hurt of losing his wife even though he missed her more and more each day. But now...now Quirin was in agony because the one thing, the one person he had left to keep him going had been taken away from him; and he wasn't sure he could come back from it.

"Hey Varian," he said, kneeling down in front of his son's grave, and reaching his hand out to run his fingers over the smooth stone that marked it as the tears started running down his face. "It's...It's been a while since I've last seen you guys. And...I-I really miss both of you. And Varian...I wish you didn't have to leave me so soon. I know I did really express it very much, because you were just so hard to handle sometimes. But I want you to know that *sniff* I was always proud of you, Varian. Yeah, you drove me crazy sometimes with your inventions, and how often they'd explode. But that didn't make me any less proud. You could have gone on to do great things, but instead...You had to go down a dark path, and get killed...And it was all my fault. I...*sob* I should have told you the truth back then before I got stuck in the amber; I should have told you the truth, and now you're gone. But I promise, Varian. Once I get rid of these rocks, and help save the kingdom. I'll make things right. Starting with the people who took you away from me."

Feeling someone place a hand on his shoulder, Quirin looked out the corner of his eye and saw a familiar face with red paint going down the left half of her face, and stark white hair held back by multiple gold colored bands, wearing a warrior's outfit. And it was at that moment that Quirin let out what he had been holding back for the last four days ever since he first got out of the amber mere hours after his son's untimely death, and felt Adira's arm slip around his shoulders the way it had when he lost his wife, with her staying beside him on the ground for as long as he needed her to.


	8. Chapter 8

"Your majesty," one of the servants said. "I brought you another lantern. To replace the one you knocked over yesterday."

"Just leave it on the table, Vienna," Arianna said, laying on her bed as Vienna set the lantern down and left. Getting up once she was gone, and looking at the lantern to see that it wasn't the usual lantern she had for Rapunzel's birthday. It wasn't a yellow paper lantern with the golden sun painted on the side; but instead a white lantern with a pale blue moon painted all around it in various cycles. But she didn't want to bring Vienna back in to take it away. Instead, she took the lantern with her out onto the balcony, and lit it. The flame inside glowing a pale yellow behind the white background as she set it free into the air, and watched it float away into the nighttime sky.

**~Flashback: 5 weeks earlier~**

"Your majesty," Varian said, waking Arianna up from her sleep, and making her light the candle next to her bed to see the boy standing beside her, covered in vomit. Having not wanted to disturb any of the other servants because they wouldn't have been of much help given his current status as a villain.

"Alright," she said, getting up from her bed, and taking Varian into the bathroom to give him a bath while the servants replaced the bedding in the guest quarters. Putting Varian into some dry clothes once he was cleaned up, and tucking him back in once the bedding was replaced. But Arianna made sure to stay next to him until he fell back to sleep, giving the boy all the cuddles he didn't even know he needed.

"Your majesty," Varian said. "Why were you so quick to forgive me for what I did? M-Most people don't really forgive the person who tries to destroy Corona."

"Well, my husband might not be able to see it. But I've known Nigel long enough to know when he's lying," she said, rubbing the boy's back as he nuzzled up to her shoulder. "And as much as the thought of you attacking my daughter worries me, I know you didn't attack Rapunzel. Not during the snowstorm."

"Then why didn't you send someone to check on me?" he asked, fresh tears springing to his eyes as Arianna pushed a piece of his hair off his face with her free hand. "Why did you let everyone in Corona demonize me, and think I was a criminal before I even became one?"

"Because my husband's an idiot who refused to even consider the idea that Nigel was lying, given we had just gotten Rapunzel back after eighteen long years," she said, hearing Varian sniffle. And just seeing the tears in his big blue puppy eyes again broke her heart. No wonder he was able to manipulate certain situations when he was falling into darkness. "Varian, honey. I am so sorry we didn't listen."

"I'm sorry," he apologized again, his voice breaking through his tears as his breath hitched in his throat. "For everything."

"Varian, it's okay," she said, rolling onto her side to face him and wipe his tears away. "If it had been your father in your shoes, and we refused to help him. He would have done the exact same thing you did. And he doesn't even have half the knowledge on alchemy and building like you do."

"I highly doubt that," he said. "He was always embarrassed with half my inventions. If it had been me-"

"He wouldn't have stopped at anything until he got you free," Arianna said, pressing a kiss to his burning forehead

"But it was my fault," Varian muttered out through quivering lips. "If I had listen and stayed away from those rocks like he told me to. None of this would have happened."

"Varian, what happened was an accident," she said to him. "And as much as it pains me to say it, you did what you thought was right because we refused to listen to your side of the story. You came to us for help, and-"

"And I expected Rapunzel to just drop everything and help me without a second thought. I brought this on myself."

"Well, I highly doubt we were of any help. We pushed you away because of a rumor, and we-"

"Don't owe me an apology," he said as she wiped away his tears. "It's not like it makes any difference. Everyone in Corona hates me now. It doesn't matter if I redeem myself or not, they're just going to see me as a criminal."

"Now, don't say that," she said, sitting up to get him a tissue so he could blow his nose. "It'll take a while for them to trust you again. But I think you'll be able to redeem yourself."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, with your father encased in the amber. Someone has to have faith in you. And besides, when you helped us in the past, before you became a villain, we made you drop everything; so I don't blame you for expecting the same from Rapunzel because you didn't know Fredric and I weren't here. But if anything else happens with the guards in the prison, just know you can always come to me. Okay?"

"O-Okay," he said, sounding very unsure on whether or not he could trust her given what happened last time he trusted the royal family.

"Good," she said, wiping his nose with the tissue. "Now, why don't you go back to sleep for a little while. The sooner you get better, the quicker you can work off your sentence and help us get your father out of the amber."

Seeing a smile spread across the boy's face, Arianna kissed the boy's temple, and laid beside him until he fell back to sleep. Joining him in his adventure to dreamland a few moments later, just to make sure he was protected and safe again.

**~End Flashback: Present Day~**

"Look mommy, a shining star," a child called from below the balcony. Making Arianna look down to see a young boy who had been walking with his mother, pointing up at the sky where there was a shining star right above where the lantern was. And she wasn't sure why, but she could almost imagine Varian up there catching the lantern in his hands, and giving her that same smile he had given her when she promised to let him help free his father from his amber prison. And instead of feeling at peace with the idea that he was looking down at her and Quirin with that smile on his face, it just filled her with a sense of anger. Yes, Varian had been a criminal, a villain. He had done terrible crimes, broke many laws; all in the name of setting his father free. But he was also a child, one that had a chance at redemption at that. And that was what Arianna wanted to remember about him. She didn't want to remember Varian just for what he had done to her, and to the kingdom out of anger and spite; she wanted to remember him for what he was a before hand. An intelligent, kind hearted young boy that had lost his way and only wanted nothing more than a shoulder to cry on, and to make his father proud. And now he was gone because a rumor had essentially ruined his life before he even became a villain.

"Your majesty," Nigel said, almost in a panic. "It's Quirin. He's gone."

"Let him go," she said. "He's not going to listen to us."

"But, your majesty. He could-"

"What? Go down the same path as his son? Try to get revenge on us because we took the only family he had left away from him? Yeah, I kind of figured. And frankly, there's no stopping that from happening anytime soon."

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"Leave him be, and deal with him once he comes back," she said. "Unless you want me to hunt him down, and tell him what _really_ happened during the snowstorm. Where Varian came to us for help, and you lied to us afterwards. How you played with the fact that Fredric and I are protective over Rapunzel after what had happened eighteen years ago, and you turned Varian into a villain just for the sheer fact of making Fredric look stupid."

"Your majesty-"

"I'm not finished," she said. "You've worked with us for a long time, Nigel. Well before Rapunzel was born, so don't think I don't know when you lie to us, or try to spin the truth just to make yourself look good."

"Okay, clearly you're overcome by grief over the death of a child that wasn't even yours," Nigel said.

Yeah, I am. But I'm not crazy," Arianna said. "And you are in no position to lie to Fredric and tell him that I am crazy. He may believe you if you do, but just know that the more you try and convince him that I'm going insane over Varian's death, the more guards he'll post to keep an eye on me, and make sure I don't do anything too heinous or rash. Meaning if you try to silence me in any way with what I know, you will be immediately arrested on the spot because your little tactic backfired."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," Nigel stammered.

"Judging by your hesitance, I think you do," she said, knowing she had Fredric's advisor backed up into a corner. "You see, Nigel. After years of having you as our advisor, I've learned a lot about you just by watching you. Your behavior is somewhat predictable, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were trying to take over the kingdom."

"Now, your majesty. Think of how farfetched that sounds," Nigel said. "You know me better than that."

"I honestly thought I did," she said, turning her back to him. "I'm going to retire to bed early this evening. If you want to bring Quirin's sudden absence to anyone's attention. Feel free to bring it to Fredric's. I'm sure he'll do plenty given his trust in you."

"Very well," he said. "I wish you a good night, your majesty."

Hearing Nigel walk away from her room, Arianna slammed the door shut and locked it to make sure he didn't try to make a reappearance later. Changing into her night clothes and looking out towards the sky one last time; the lantern now a mere pale yellow speck in the sky amongst the stars, and barely visible now if it weren't for the very faint flickering of the flame inside of it.

"I'm really sorry, Varian," she said, gripping the rail of her balcony tightly as new tears streamed down her face. "Hopefully you're happier up there with your mom."

Feeling the wind pick up, Arianna shivered, and hugged her arms to try to stay warm; feeling something wrap around her waist, and turning to see who or what it was. But no one and nothing was there; and she just stood there, frozen in place with something hugging her for what felt like hours until it slowly faded away. Seemingly taking her anger with it because something in her brain was telling her that Varian, although dead, was going to be just fine.


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adira asked as she and Quirin stood on the outskirts of Corona. "You know that Fredric guy's just going to send his guards after you regardless on which path you choose to take."

"I'd rather him send his guards after me while we try to help his daughter than stay another day in that castle, and hear him apologize to me again for taking my son from me," he said as his horse tried to get its reigns off. "I warned him what would happen eighteen years ago if he took that flower, Adira. And he ignored the consequences for too long. I'm just cleaning up his mess."

"And what exactly are you going to do when you get back?" she asked as Quirin looked at the piece of parchment in his hand. The last note he had written to his son before he had gotten encased in the amber. "Quirin, you can tell them that you're not going to go down a dark path like Varian did all you want. But what makes you think they're going to believe you considering everything that's happened up until this point?"

"I'll deal with Fredric when I return," he said as he put the parchment away and mounted his horse again. Looking back one last time at the kingdom that was once his home before it took his flesh and blood away from him.

**~Flashback: 7 months earlier~**

"Boy what a day," Quirin sighed to himself as he sank into his arm chair. His muscles and back aching from cleaning up another one of Varian's messes earlier when his makeshift hot water heater exploded.

"Dad," Varian said, getting Quirin to look over at his son and see him standing there rather sheepishly with that "I'm really sorry" puppy pout on his face. "D-Do you hate me?...From earlier?"

"What?" Quirin asked, taken aback by his son's question. Yeah, he was embarrassed because Varian should know by now to exercise some caution with his inventions. But he didn't hate him. "Of course not. Why would you ask me that?"

"It's just...I really screwed up this time. And Harold-"

"Say no more," Quirin said, holding his hand up to get Varian to stop talking before holding his arms out to get him to come to him for a hug. Which Varian hesitantly accepted while his dad practically squeezed the life out of him, and kissed his hair.

"I really am sorry dad," he apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I know you meant well," he said, letting Varian go and looking him right in the eye. "But you need to start exercising more caution with these things. You could have really hurt yourself or someone else."

"I know," he said. "And I'm really sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Quirin said, giving his son another hug. "And stop letting what Harold says get to you."

"It's not just him," he said. "Everyone else is saying how I embarrass you and how I'll be better off exiled and not doing any of my alchemy at all."

"Varian, you can't keep listening to everything they say and tell yourself it's true. You may be a piece of work, and you may embarrass me to no end when your inventions and experiments blow up. But at the end of the day, I'd rather deal with the embarrassment and know you're safe and happy than have you give up what you love just for the sake of everyone else."

"Really?" he asked. "You mean that?"

"Of course," Quirin said. "Varian, you can screw up countless times. But it's not going to make you any less my son than you are now."

"Thanks dad," Varian said, giving his dad another hug.

"It's no problem," Quirin said. "Now go get cleaned up. You smell."

Seeing his son smile, Quirin pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead and ushered him off to the stairs to go get a bath. Feeling a happy knowing his son wasn't going to give up on his dreams for the sake of everyone else.

**~End Flashback: Present Day~**

"Would you have told him the truth?" Adira asked, breaking Quirin from his thoughts. "If he was still alive, would you have told Varian the truth about the rocks then?"

"No," he said. "I still would have been too scared to lose him to tell him the truth. But now that he's gone...It's one of my biggest regrets. He could have been traveling alongside Rapunzel and helping her along her journey, and now...now he's gone."

"And you're sure you're not going to exact revenge on the royal family?" she asked as he wiped his eyes. "Because this is pretty much what this looks like, even from my perspective."

"Adira, I was trained to know that revenge is never a good route to take," he said, taking his horse's reigns into his hands. "Now, are you coming with me?"

"Is that even a question?" she asked, seeing him offer his hand so she could ride on the back. Making her scoff and roll her eyes. "Please. I'm fine walking."

"Alright," he said with a shrug, flicking his horse's reigns and riding off into the night as she picked up Rudiger.

"Might want to hang on tight little buddy," she said, putting the raccoon on her shoulders and running off after Quirin.


End file.
